A Stunning, New Social Media Tactic: Handwritten Notes

Recently, I gave a Marketing 101 talk to a group of small-business owners in Austin, Tex., mostly principals at professional service companies like law firms. I’m a big fan of handwritten notes as an effective, inexpensive but surprisingly powerful tool and highlighted them in my presentation.

Afterward, Gerald Blancett, a marketing representative with a cable company, came up to me. He excitedly shared photos he took with his smartphone of a handwritten postcard he had received from a local clothing boutique, DuO. He had been so impressed that he took pictures of it and sent them to friends.

Why is a 40-cent postcard so powerful? As technology races forward, people are increasingly starved for those high-touch extras, like homemade meals and personalized notes. Small businesses often operate at a disadvantage, but we certainly have the opportunity to establish the perception that we are more personable than our larger competitors.

A few years ago, looking to do some networking, Tim Smith, my new-business specialist, and I took a commercial real estate acquaintance to lunch. We picked up the bill, as we typically do. A few days later, I got a hand-addressed envelope with cream-colored, monogrammed, executive-size stationery on watermarked paper with — and I know this because I’m a paper nerd — very nice, high-cotton content. In really nice ink and in handwriting that featured a delightfully eccentric 45-degree lean, he thanked us for the lunch and recapped a few highlights of the conversation. I went straight to Tim’s desk, holding the note as if it were some kind of archaeological find. He met me halfway with an identical exhibit and surprised expression. I’m a pretty jaded marketer, but we were both taken by the impact those notes had. Not above borrowing what impresses us, we immediately ordered our own sets of bespoke, high-cotton stationery.

I believe that sending handwritten notes, as either prelude or follow-up to a presentation, helps us establish that our business gives clients the service and attention they deserve — and has helped us win new accounts. Last summer, after a pitch to a large financial institution in New York, our contacts specifically thanked us for our notes. During the agency review that followed, they asked us to compare the size of their account with others we had. In other words, they wanted to know how much of a priority they would be at our shop. Did the notes help clinch the deal? I may be giving them too much credit, but all things being equal, I think the high-touch approach can make a huge difference.

How have the handwritten postcards worked for DuO? I spoke with Amy Ewing, an assistant manager at DuO’s store in downtown Austin. DuO is part of a company of 12 or so retail stores in Texas and is owned by AA Concepts out of Houston. “Anytime someone is in the store, we ask them to sign up for our V.I.P. program and we collect their name, e-mail address and phone number and make a note of their size,” Ms. Ewing said. “Right after they come in, we send them a note and invite them to the four to five events we have each month, like Massages and Merlot night, or, say, ‘bring this card in for a discount.’ It’s our only way to compete with some of the bigger places around us. It’s nice to get mail these days — that never happens, you know? To have your name on it, say we remember you, we want to see you again — it’s really effective.”

MP Mueller is the founder of Door Number 3, a boutique advertising agency in Austin, Tex. Follow Door Number 3 on Facebook.

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You're the Boss offers an insider's perspective on small-business ownership. It gives business owners a place where they can compare notes, ask questions, get advice, and learn from one another's mistakes. The blog also offers analysis of policy issues, and suggests investing tips.